Banded catshark problem! help

blownz281

blownz281

Member
i have had my shark for six months now and he has always eaten about anything you put in his face. in the past couple months he would suck up the food right away and then spit it out. he would do this 100 times and never end up eating and if he did it would be acouple small pieces. it doesn't matter how large or small of pieces. he is about 24inches long. i picked up some silversides and shark forumla meal the other day and he turned his nose up at them and did the same feeding thing... he is in a 180 for now. i know he will eat ghost shrimp,but the eel tends to get them before him. i have had sharks in the past and no eating problems or all of a sudden doing this. he has a hungry feeding response....
food list
shrimp
silversides-fish fillets
shark formula
clams
squid
oysters
scallops
use to love that stuff. i'm to the point now where i'm tired of wasting the money on him since nothing is working. and before anyone asks yes the water quality is perfect .i have five saltwater tanks and years of keeping them so his tank is healthy.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
have you checked your iodine levels in his tank? sharks are highly subseptable to goiter(gout) which is infalmation of glands in his throat making it hard to swallow.if his iodine levels are deminished this can cause the same reaction i have had this same problem in the past with my eels as well.if you dont have the test kit for this particular item the LFS should carry them or be able to test them for you.be sure not to overdose the iodine though it can be fatal .i use kent logals salution for my tanks
 
blownz281

blownz281

Member
huh... i never heard anything bout that?? sounds like it has to be my problem. how much should i dose and why does he need the iodine?
like i said he is normal acting other then acting like he has trouble eating. years ago i had a lionfish do the samething and die on me.
from your experience does this sound like the problem then?
thanks
 
whitetip*09

whitetip*09

New Member
you should be able to get lougles solution at your LFS, its probbley with the reef stuff. but id definately say thats your problem, and you need to fix it quickly before he starves to death.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
i buy mine at lfs, but it is sold online do a google search for it i know it is sold online.as i stress do not overdose read directions before using
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by blownz281
huh... i never heard anything bout that?? sounds like it has to be my problem. how much should i dose and why does he need the iodine?
like i said he is normal acting other then acting like he has trouble eating. years ago i had a lionfish do the samething and die on me.
from your experience does this sound like the problem then?
thanks
iodine is s trace eliment that is needed by may marine animals
people need this too.in most cases in nature this eliment is provided for them by eating crustations in large amounts.seafoods that turn red when cooked like crab shrimp ect all contain higher amounts of iodine this is why it turns red..we use iodized salt which keeps our levels up..its an essential eliment which keeps this gland functioning proplerly..sw mixes provides very small amounts that become used up fast so once in a while a little extra added is needed
 
blownz281

blownz281

Member
thanks guys, yeah i knew people and the reef tanks needed it just never had problems with fish ever before except a lionfish i got acouple years ago. i ordered some and it should be here tomorrow or the next day...
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
Originally Posted by blownz281
thanks guys, yeah i knew people and the reef tanks needed it just never had problems with fish ever before except a lionfish i got acouple years ago. i ordered some and it should be here tomorrow or the next day...
sharks rays and eels seam to be the most common for goiter (gout)i dont know if lions have this glad or not.but improper diet will surely make a lion just stop eating.but there are other factors that will contribute to this behavior as well such as harrassment by tankmates poor water quality or as minute as other fish eating the food faster than the lion will making feeding competatively difficult for feeding lions will just say forget it and go on strike
 
krj-1168

krj-1168

Member
What's the max size for bamboo sharks in captivity?
Depends on the species.
Brown Banded Bamboos - are the most common , as well as the largest and can reach up to 40". But usually average about 36".
White-spotted Bamboos - grow up to 37". But averages about 32-33".
Grey Bamboos - grow up to 30", average about 27".
 
greenwolf52

greenwolf52

Member
i had green wolf eel that died last week after not eating for 2-3 weeks. i had not been adding iodine to the system. is it possible he could've gotten the goiter thing.
 
fishgeek01

fishgeek01

Active Member
I like where this conversation is going, trying to find the solution so to speak, but here is one problem that i have. Depending on the type of salt that you use it will have the trace elements such as iodine added directly to it, and when proper water changes are preformed it should never need to be added directly to the tank. Not saying that this poster does not do regular water changes, just that the salt they are using should be providing sufficient levels of this particular trace element. Maybe using a different salt in this particular tank in the future would help... just a thought
 
sebae*09

sebae*09

New Member
Good advice Fishgeek, i have only one thing to add, maybe you could add some menerial mudd, it constantly adds iodine,calcium,strontium,iron and creates anaeriobic conditions to reduce nitrates. its definately something to try anyways. and i just added some to my new fuge about 1 hour ago so i will test my water and tell you what everything reads tonight.
 
blownz281

blownz281

Member
i use instant ocean sea salt in all my tanks and always have... i do weekly water changes even though i know alot of people say they do monthly. i have had him for almost a year and like i said nothing has been done different to the tank so i think your wrong to say the salt will take care of the iodine levels alone...
 
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